UPDATE: Manatee identifies sergeant who shot, killed man

Deputies said Terry Sellars ran toward them waving a samurai sword after they responded to a domestic situation at his mother's home.

By SHELBY WEBB

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office identified Sergeant Brady McCabe as the officer who shot and killed Terry M. Sellars on Thursday.

McCabe was also involved in a shoot-out with a robbery suspect earlier this year, in which the robber was killed, and a police officer was shot but survived. That shooting was less than a mile away from Thursday's shooting.

Deputies said Sellars charged at them waving a samurai sword after they responded to a domestic situation at his mother's home in the 3500 block of 58th Ave. E. in Oneco, near the intersection of U.S. 301 and 33rd St. E.

McCabe has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is under investigation.

McCabe, 32, is a 12-year veteran of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Dave Bristow, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said Thursday the sheriff's office will conduct the investigation. He added that the department was large enough and had enough different divisions — including criminal investigations and internal investigations — to handle the case.

Authorities said the incident began at about 8 a.m. when Sellars' mother called authorities from a nearby Circle K gas station at State Road 70 and 33rd Street East.

The mother told deputies that her son had hit her twice with a phone book and had choked her. She said while Sellars was hitting her, she was not able to leave the house where they lived with Sellars' adult sister.

When he went to the back of the house, Sellars' mother was able to escape and take a pickup to the gas station.

Deputies went to the house to arrest Sellars on charges of battery and false imprisonment at about 9:30 a.m.

As the three sheriff's vehicles pulled up to the house, which sits at the end of a winding dirt road, McCabe hung onto the outside of the dog unit. He stepped off of the SUV's step rail and began to move toward the front of the car. All other deputies were inside vehicles.

As the deputy began to move toward the front of the car, Sellars reportedly ran out of the home's front door with the samurai sword above his head.

Steube said McCabe yelled at Sellars to stop, but the man continued to “charge” at the deputies. Steube estimated that the deputy was about 40 feet away from Sellars when the deputy began to shoot.

Steube said McCabe fired “several” shots, but a neighbor whose house backs up to the dirt road on which the shooting scene was located said she heard five or six gunshots.

Sellars was declared dead at the scene.

This is not the first time McCabe was involved in a fatal, deputy-involved shooting, according to an internal invesitgation log.

Two internal investigations into McCabe — one by the sheriff's office and another by the state attorney's office — stemmed from a dramatic shoot-out with a bank robbery suspect in April. According to Herald-Tribune archives, deputies responded to the Florida Bank on University Parkway at about noon on April 15.

The pickup eventually turned off and into a parking lot at the intersection of State Road 70 adn 33rd Street East — less than a mile from where McCabe shot Sellars on Thursday.

The driver, Ross Chrisman, 24, allegedly shot at deputies. Deputies, including McCabe, fired back at Chrisman.

A preliminary autopsy showed Chrisman apparently shot himself in his truck after the robbery, according to the Sheriff's Office at the time. He was declared dead at the scene.

One officer — 15-year veteran Lt. Bob Mealy — was shot in the incident but was released from a local hospital days later.

McCabe was exonerated during the administrative review. The State Attorney's Office also exonerated him in the shooting.

Prior to the April shoot-out, McCabe was investigated once.

He allegedly left a night scope on top of his patrol car and drove away, losing the equipment. He was given a written reprimand for “improper care of equipment.”

EARLIER: The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has identified a 12-year veteran of its force as the deputy who shot and killed a sword-wielding man outside an Oneco home Thursday morning.

Sgt. Brady McCabe, 32, was placed on paid administrative leave after he shot and killed 31-year-old Terry M. Sellars Jr., who deputies said ran at McCabe brandishing a samurai sword over his head at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

McCabe was not injured in the incident.

Sheriff Brad Steube said as officers arrived at a house located in the 3500 block of 58th Ave. E. in Oneco when Sellars came out the front door and “charged” at the deputy with a “very large” sword over his head at about 9:30 a.m. The sheriff said Sellars sometimes spelled his last name Sellers.

Authorities said the incident began at about 8 a.m. when Sellars' mother called authorities from a nearby Circle K gas station at State Road 70 and 33rd Street East.

The mother told deputies that her son had hit her twice with a phone book and had choked her. Another son, Casey Whitaker, who arrived on scene after the shooting, told the Herald-Tribune that his mother had several neck surgeries in the past.

The mother told deputies while Sellars was hitting her, she was not able to leave the house where they lived with Sellars' adult sister. At one point the mother was able to call 911 from the house, but Sellars allegedly grabbed the phone from her and went into a back bedroom.

When he went to the back of the house, Sellars' mother was able to escape and take a pickup to the gas station.

The mother filled out an affidavit, and deputies went to the house to arrest Sellars on charges of battery and false imprisonment at about 9:30 a.m.

Four deputies arrived on the scene in three cars.

McCabe left his car up the street and rode outside of a sheriff's dog unit car standing on a step rail.

Steube said McCabe did not ride inside the car because it could have agitated the dog, which is typically used to only having its handler in the car.

As the three sheriff's vehicles pulled up to the house, which is located at the end of a winding dirt road, McCabe stepped off of the K-9 SUV's step rail and began to move toward the front of the car. All other deputies were inside vehicles.

As McCabe began to move toward the front of the car, Sellars allegedly ran out of the home's front door with the samurai sword above his head.

Steube did not know if Sellars said anything as he ran toward deputies.

Steube said McCabe yelled at Sellars to stop, but the man continued to “charge” at the deputies. Steube estimated McCabe was about 40 feet away from Sellars when the deputy began to shoot.

Stuebe said McCabe fired “several” shots, but a neighbor whose house backs up to the dirt road on which the shooting scene was located said she heard five or six gunshots.Sellars was declared dead at the scene.

Deputies blocked 58th Avenue East Thursday morning to everyone except residents who could show they lived on the street.

Whittaker, Sellars' brother, said his father called him with the news this morning.